Atari Founder: Xbox 360 Has the Advantage, PS3 Not Compelling

Speaking in an interview over at gaming blog Joystiq, Atari and Chuck E. Cheese founder Nolan Bushnell has once again expressed his disappointment with the PlayStation brand.

Bushnell-who previously had said that the PlayStation's success was an "accident"-reiterated that Sony was simply in the "right place at the right time" with the original PlayStation.

"It wasn't that they had put together an incredible product, they just filled a void that the market had at the time," he said. "Consumers wanted a new gaming system, and Sony was there. There weren't really any other choices as far as the technology available, at the time."

[P4KY B]

Here we go again!!!

[MikeMichaels]

you mean those guys that help crash the entire game industry in the early 80's.

The ones who released a pathetic 64-bit system that got slaughterd in both gameplay and graphics by the 16-bit systems.

The same Atari that only exists as a letter head for Infogrames to pawn it's grabage?

That Atari?

[Marriot VP]

what does the atari founder know about video games anyways....?

[[email protected]]

Nothing, Nada, Niente.

[Scythesean]

He knows nothing he just sits in a dark room watching kids all across america in his Chuck E. Cheese play in the ball pit.

[Razzy]

eeeewww creepy.

[Boink]

this should bring in the sony defenders by the boatload,

it's just one guys opinion, no the word of god, relax boys:)

[BubblesDAVERAGE]

All the new systems are great. This guy is just on the FUD train. Do we ever hear this much FUD about 360 even though they commonly break down at least 30 percent of the time. No we dont this is just developers not wanting sony to be number one again.

[kewlkat007]

This guy is about to be chewed up as usual, like he is a nobody, and doesn't have opinions like everybody else. Well it did say he is co-founder, I wonder what he is doing now?

Yes Sony got lucky, and was in the right place at the right time, Thanks to Nintendo's arrogance and greed. Ya Should of dumped the cartridges Nintendo.

Anyhow I played some great games on the PSone, and some sequals on the PStwo, now enjoying the 360. The Ps3 has this Sequals Syndrome going on, well thats why I can wait.

So it is, what it is mates..

[gnothe1]

that every time someone mentions the Ps3 not being better than the xbox, Sony boys get all defensive an start talking about the xbox breaking down.ok we get it!! the system is having problems, but you cant deny that MS is doing a great job getting these consoles fixed at no cost to the consumer, what more can you ask for. did they or did they not have to bring a class action LAWSUIT against Sony for the faulty dvd drives in the PS2. things like this happen!! did that stop the PS2 from being a great system NO!! is it gonna stop the 360 from beinga graet system!! NO!! so can we please just put that to rest!!

an I agree with him, the PS3 just ain't that compelling right now!! Sony can CLAIM superiority over the 360 without showing it an you Sony boys just eat it up!! right now what is the Ps3 doing better than the xbox360 to make you say its a better GAMING CONSOLE!! don't come in here with that HOME, LBP, AN MGS4 NONSENCE BECAUSE THAT STUFF AINT AVAIBLE, an no one knows how that stuff will be!! there's NO games that show the PS3 is a better console, so until that happens you guys need to get off that high horse your riding!! I do like the photo slide show on the Ps3, that's one of the coolest thing about the system!!

[SmokeyMcBear]

i thought it cost 130 dollars to send in the 360 for repairs? Hmm.. i guess it was before the extended warranty because of all the complaints, I wonder how many people actually had to pay to get the system fixed. But yeah.. 360 has all these awesome games like.. gears and uhhh..mmm..uhh.. well it has some awesome games. The systems will have some awesome games in the future, to each their own.

[Dlacy13g]

He has a small valid point, in that Sony definitely was in the right place at the right time with the PS1. That is not saying it was not a great product, cause it was. It's just it was a great product that lept ahead of the competition at a perfect moment in time.

I think you have to give tons of credit ot Sony for the way they leveraged their brand...ESPECIALLY when you look at the PS2! The crushed everyone and they did it via brand and relationships.

As for the PS3. I think it is still very early to really judge how it will fare. Lets come back to this in 2008 and see where everything stands after a full year under the belt.

[techie]

interesting read about ps2
http://archive.salon.com/te...

[Aeroglyphics]

Great article Deep. It's kind of scary how similar those two articles are. Just goes to show you people always have something to say. In the end only time will tell.

[specialguest]

Last year, he lashed out at the PS3 with some pretty crude statements.

[Funky Town_TX]

Someone has an opinion that does not match yours. Off with his head.

[predator]

Funny read that.lol

[r1000]

This coming from a guys who's console part of his company no longer exist....hmm...

[Close_Second]

...Atari no longer makes hardware. When Bushnell created Atari and was at its helm he put America on the gaming map. His biggest mistake was selling his stake in Atari, putting control into the hands of people that valued profit over product. Bushnell was a gaming pioneer and as such has earned the right to pass comment and to be honest, I dare say he knows a damn site more about gaming than most of the people who place comments on this site. Hell, just because some people play games they think it makes them an expert.

If Bushnell had not sold his stake in Atari back in the 80's I dare say we would not have a Sony or Xbox today...

[StrboyM]

its over for the ps3, Bushnell has spoken....I would listen to this guy people. he knows a lot about useless crap systems....(cough cough* jaguar). well actually he backed his own dead system, so if hes against the ps3....thats a good thing^^

[Anego Montoya FTMFW]

the truth.
spoken well.

[Stiffler203]

Bushnell sold Atari to Warner Communications in 1976 for $28 million when it was at its peak dumba$$e$, so before you post your sh!t do some research. He has nothing to do with Atari at all since then and defiantly didn't make the Jaguar. So all you Sony fangirls can stop your b!tching and face it your systems is sh!t. Also if you ever played Xbox 360 you would know theres way more games then just GOW.

[r1000]

whoa I'm sorry to offend you man... I didn't know you and Bushnell were related.

Who the F cares what happened to Atari sold or not sold, get off your high pedestal bro... don't think your so wise cuz you read a couple of articles here and there.

I've heard sony fanboys, MS fanboys, Nintendo fanboys.. but now I have to look out for Atari Fanboys...

[tomfoolery]

Question:Did Sony charge to fix the ps2s with problems?I have one
that never gave me a problem.

Statement:GTA series without a doubt helped sell ps2s.Bushnell was right about a couple of things,and Sony definitely had the third party
support.Right place right time thing he was mentioning.

[slugg]

Sony just refused to admit there was a problem, even after they were sued and lost. I was part of the class-action lawsuit, and all I got from Sony when they lost was a crappy year-old game-- NOT a replacement system. So this is one reason why the PS2 sold so well-- lots of people had to buy more than one at their own expense when the one they had crapped out.

[weekapaugh]

lol....he is still hating on the PS1.

[power091999]

Although I do not agree with his opinion, I do agree that gaming wouldn't be what it is today with him.

Atari shaped America back in the day.

[Bullseye]

Atari revolutionised the idea of video games. They may not have been the absolute first, but they deffinitely, made the most impact in the early days, so respect to him for that.Of course, its a very different market now,so agree with him or not, but the ATARI brand remains part of our gaming heritage. I love my ATARI woody!

[InMyOpinion]

Atari paved the way for Nintendo...

[ITR]

Your so right. It was the India company that drug Atari down not it's founders.

Since he owns Chucks I bet he still making money off the kids and pizza and arcade games.

[RedSeven]

Obviousley this guy knows what he is talking about. If this man can create dancing rats and play pens for toddlers, then he obviousley has the know how to decide if the Playstation 3 is going to become a hit console. Chuck E. Cheese will have the final say of the video game industry future. Eventually there will be a Chuck E. Cheese console to topple them all.

[SIX]

The worlds oldest fanboy.

[GameJunkieJim]

That was Jack Tramiel who did that.

Bushnell is who we thank for the entire game console industry. Sure Baer made his first, but Bushnell made his better and made it commercially viable. He then sold it and Warner had the rights to the best console on the market, until Ray Kassar ruined it.

He was also extremely successful with Pizza Time Theater, a.k.a ShowBiz, a.k.a. Chuck E. Cheese.

If any man has a right to comment on the industry, it's certainly the one who's responsible for it.

Doesn't make him right or wrong, but he's certainly worthy of respect and he's certainly earned the right.

[Bullseye]

You are absolutely right about Bushnell and Tramiel.Wasn't Jack Tramiel the one who cheapened the whole atari range and basically ruined it? I love my ATARI woody